Trap.



P. C. THAYER.

TRAP. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2, 1917 Patented May 22, 1917,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- %Zi 6. ffi-wyer ll lrlllh P. C. THAYER.

TRAP.

APPLICATION EILED FEB. I2, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented May '22, 1917.

PAUL TIE-LAYER, OF QUINCY, CALIFORNIA.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed February 12, 1917. Serial No. 148,162.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL C. TI IAYER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county ofPlumes and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Traps; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to keeper and trigger for holding the jaws inset position.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides in thenovel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to behereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter beingsupplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part ofthis application, and in which: i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved trap showing the same setfor use;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section showing more particularly thearrangement of the keeper and trigger when the trap is set;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the position of the trigger whenreleasing the keeper; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the trigger.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 has reference toa support preferably in the form of a flat circular block having aplurality of deep grooves 2 spaced apart and shallow grooves 3connecting them. Coiled springs 4 are partially received in the grooves2 and a clamping band 5 passes through said springs and is received inthe grooves 3 for holding them in place, one end of each spring, beingrigidly secured to the block 1, while the other end thereof is extendedto form a aw 6 preferably of the hook shape shown in the drawings. Arms7 are pivoted at one end to the jaws 6 and are adapted to extend beyondthe inner ends thereof for engagement with the keeper 8 which is mountedat the center of the block 1, the top of the block being preferablyprovided with a metal covering 9 to reinforce it and to prevent injuryfrom the arms 7 The lower side of the block 1 is formed with a cavity10, while an opening 11 leads from this cavity through the upper side ofthe block, the lower end of said cavity be ing closed by a metal plate12 which extends overthe lower side of the block. It is within theopening 11 that the keeper 8 is pivoted upon a horizontal pivot pin 13,said keeper being of inverted L-shape with its vertical arm 13 extendingthrough an open ing in the plate 9, into the opening 11 and cavity 10,while the horizontal arm 14 of said keeper overlies plate 9 and receivesthereunder the arms 7. An abutment in the form of a vertically disposedplate 15 extends across the opening 11 and forms with one side thereof aguide which receives the upper end of the trigger 16 whose constructionis shown most clearly in Fig. 5. The vertical arm 13 of the keeper 8 isadapted to be swung into contact with one side of the 'alnitment 15 andto be held in. this position by a depressed seat 17 which is formed onand opens toward the upper end of the trigger 16. It will thus beobvious that when this trigger is pulled downwardly, the keeper 8 willbe permitted to rock around its pivot 12 to release the arms 7,whereupon the springs 1 will move the jaws inwardly to a common pointbeneath the block 1.

The keeper 16 is preferably formed of a single length of stiff wiredisposed vertically and having substantially its upper half bentdownwardly at 18 to form a spring seat, and then upwardly to provide theseat 17 said upper half extending an appreciable distance above saidseat 17 and being here bent downwardly at 19 so that a loop-shapedvertical stem is provided which is received slidably between theabutment 15 and the adjacent wall of the opening 4. The lower half ofthe wire extends slidably through an opening in the plate 12 and is bentinto the form of a hook 20 upon which the bait is hung. A coiled spring21 is located in the cavity 10 and bears at its lower end on the plate12, the upper end of said spring being received in the seat 18 abovedescribed. The tension of this spring is thus exerted to yieldablyretain the trigger in operative position after it is once set, but

this tension is insufficient to prevent an animal from tripping thedevice.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,it will be obvious that several changes have been made over theconstruction shown in the patent above referred to, all of these changesserving to increase the efiiciency of the trap although they arethemselves simple and do not increase the expense of manufacture.

I claim:

1. A trap comprising a and means for impelling it to operative position,a support having a guide, a keeper mounted on said support for holdingthe jaw in set position, and a trigger mounted slidably in said guideand having a depressed seat opening toward one of its ends and normallyreceiving a part of said keeper to hold the latter in operativeposition; incombination with means for cooperation with said j aw intrapping the prey. I

2. A trap comprising a jaw and means for impelling it to operativeposition, a support having a guide, an abutment adjacent said guide, apivoted keeper for holding the jaw in set position, said keeper having aportion to swing against said abutment, and a trigger mounted slidablyin said guide and having a depressed seat opening toward one of its endsto receive said abutment and said portion of the keeper to retain thelatter in operative position; in combination with means for cooperationwith said jaw in trapping the prey.

3. A trap comprising a aw and means for impelling it to operativeposition, a support having a guide, an abutment adjacent said guide, apivoted keeper for holding the jaw in set position, said keeper having aportion to swing against said abutment, a trigger formed of av singlelength of wire having one of its ends bent toward its other to form aspring seat and then bent in the opposite direction to form anotherseat, the portion of the wire beyond the open side of the last namedsea-t being slidably received in said guide while the other end portionof said wire constitutes a bait support, said last named seat beingadapted to receive therein the abutment and said portion of the keeperto retain the latter in operative position, and a coiled spring having aportion received in the aforesaid spring seat, said spring operating toyieldably hold the trigger in set position; in combination with meansfor cooperation with'said jaw in trapping the prey.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing D. N. ROGERS, HENRY A. KLoPrENBURe.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. I

